The Highest Score (Is You)
by shamelesstoaster
Summary: You're the reigning champion at Tetris! Until 'THE GREAT PAPYRUS', whoever that is, steals your spot on the leaderboard. Looks like the competition just got serious.


_Hi! I'm back on my Pap/reader bullshit, this time with a fic commissioned by my Discord friend Charlie! Enjoy :)_

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Neon lights, pounding music, garish retro decorations. A feast for the senses, easily overwhelming, but dearly loved by the regulars.

Not a nightclub or a casino, oh no. This was the arcade, your home away from home, nestled neatly between a hipster cafe and flower shop on your route home from university.

It was part of your routine now, to visit 'Archie's' for a few hours of winding down. Usually resulting in tired, aching eyes from staring at screens, an empty wallet and the consumption of way too much sugar, but the bragging rights were worth it. You had the top score at Tetris for the tenth week running now, and came second or third at everything else regularly.

Grinning proudly at your screen as your new high score flashed at the top of the leaderboard, teenagers gathering around you to praise your skills and ask you to teach them, you felt pretty damn good about life. Even if other things weren't working out perfectly, at least you still had your wits about you.

There was another name that was steadily creeping up the list, though. You were distracted by the words 'THE GREAT PAPYRUS' pushing up yet another spot, gaining on you every day despite your increasing scores. This was a worry, but you were sure you were safe. You were the Tetris master, after all.

Or so you thought.

The next time you could get to the arcade was after the weekend. Cracking your knuckles and stepping up to the booth, your self confidence was abruptly shattered as you eyes fixed on the flashing name at the top of the leaderboard.

THE GREAT PAPYRUS, whoever the hell they were, had beat your score over the weekend. Not by a whole lot, but still. Scowling, you set about to fix this mistake.

And yet, the next day, the name was back at the top. Your annoyance made you fumble with the controls, and you stayed at second place.

The third day, you were staring at the screen, the flashing high score looking more mocking than congratulatory, when a loud voice rang out behind you.

"Ah! I see you are admiring my high score! Is it not impressive?" When you turn, you're faced with a tall skeleton, all smiles and 80s clothing. The loud print of his button-up is eye-watering and you have to crane your neck to stare up at him, while he obviously waits for your praise.

"Yeah, I guess, but I'm about to beat it, so..." you offer your hand, attempting to look taller. You fail.

"Oh, you're 'KINGCHARL33', right? It was so exciting to beat your high score, you set it so high that it was a real challenge!" he gushes, shaking your hand firmly and excitedly. And damn if that sweet, genuine attitude doesn't melt your annoyed little soul just a bit.

"The Great Papyrus, huh?" you muse, starting to smile despite yourself. "You won't be on top for long, I promise. I'm gonna take my title back."

"Not if I beat you again!"

"Are you challenging me?"

His eyelights glint in his sockets, giving him an air of mischief. "I suppose I am, human!"

"You're on." You turn quickly and slip some coins into the machine, starting up the familiar theme song, and you narrow your eyes at the screen of blocks. You are going to obliterate this guy.

You're so focused on this that you don't notice how close the skeleton is leaning towards you, watching the screen and eventually pressed against your shoulder. And when you eventually do beat his high score, he's the first to congratulate you and offer a high-five. It's especially confusing when he nudges you out of the way and jumps into trying to bump you off the scoreboard again.

He doesn't manage it that night, and you buy him a milkshake as compensation. But when you arrive again the next day, he's leaning smugly against the machine with his name flashing at the top again. Grinning, you crack your knuckles and get to work.

This becomes your new regular thing. Meet up with Papyrus at the arcade, compete for high score, and now the loser buys the winner a milkshake. The two of you monopolise the Tetris machine at that particular time until the evening. Soon enough, you're staying later and later, and you try to compete in the other arcade games too. In all the racer games, Papyrus leaves you in his dust, but you crush him at Pinball. You're pretty evenly matched at DDR, but you let him win most of the time because you get tired easily and he has outrageous amounts of energy.

Suddenly, your arcade dates are all you can think about. At home, at Uni, the odd occasion you go out with friends, you can't stop thinking about beating Papyrus at every game in the arcade. And how awesome he looks when he's destroying you at Dance Dance Revolution, those little quirks he gives every movement, his passion! The way his skull folds and furrows when he's concentrating on Tetris, as if he's made of clay instead of bone! He is fascinating to watch.

At first, you're completely oblivious to the fact that your life revolves around playing games with Papyrus. You're just enjoying yourself so much, and he's just part of your daily routine now. You even make plans to meet on the weekend when you should be studying, although when you mention that fact it launches Papyrus into a lecture about the importance of schooling and responsibilities. It only makes you laugh and agree to focus on school, just for him.

You get to know each other. He's training to be a chef and loves cars, and drops you off at home in his 'darling', a '65 Mustang Convertible in candy-apple red that took him years to fix up. It's a beautiful car and he's given it personality, like the bone-printed steering wheel cover and the dangling toys that change every week. He blasts a great range of music but his favourites are 80s hits or Mettaton. And in turn you tell him about your major and your favourite anime, which he likes since he can pass on your recommendations to his friends and theirs to you.

You're still oblivious when he invites you to meet his friends, and when he comes over to show you new things he learned to cook, or when he teaches you dance moves and you enjoy how close he has to stand behind you to help you move the right way.

You're not oblivious when he kisses you on your doorstep after a night of your usual arcade games and milkshakes. It's like a wake-up call, your lips tingling and your heart fluttering in shock and a very timid-looking Papyrus rubbing his arm nervously.

"I'm sorry, I probably misread everything, I just thought that maybe-"

You're leaning back in before you know it. Taking his face into your hands and pulling him closer, pressing your lips against strangely malleable bone and kissing him firmly, everything about this situation just feeling... completely right.

Things don't really change that much after you agree to date him. You've already been building a relationship over the time you've been competing. And when the term ends and the holidays stretch before you, and both of you manage to get the highest possible score in Tetris with nowhere higher to go, you decide to take a holiday together, just the two of you. Somewhere with an arcade, so you can start over and beat him again. And maybe a beach, and a big bed to share.

But that's another story.


End file.
